Gun ammunition magazine



Dec. 5, 1944a INVENTORS fou/Alga fer/QAM 6 De- 5, 1944- E. M. BERTRAN ETAL 2,364,510

GUN AMMUNITION MAGAZINE INVENTORS fou/Ae M. Baer/QAM ef Ro-R-Y N. 5s/woz ATT RNEYS Dec. 5, 1944.

E. M. BERTRAN ET AL 2,364,510

GUN AMMUNITION MAGAZINE Filed Jan. 28, 1:941 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec- 5, 1944- E. M. BERTRAN rs1-AL 2,364,510

GUN AMMUNITION MAGAZINE Filed Jan. 28, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 lNvl-:N'roRS EDWARD /1/1. BERT/QAM! ROBERT Bx. LES'A//GK Patented Dec. v, 1944 GUN AMJWUNITION MAGAZINE Edward M. Bertran, Jackson Heights, and Robert N. Lesnick, Brooklyn, Brewster Aeronautical Corporation, Long Island City, N. Y.

N. Y., assignors to Application January 28, 1941, Serial No. 376,322

5 Claims.

This invention relates vto impr-oved mounting and magazine devices for aerial automatic guns. One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved means for mounting` a relatively heavy caliber gun upon an airplane wing or the like. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved method and means for feedin a relatively heavy caliber automatic gun when mounted upon an airplane wing or the like. Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the specication hereinafter.

, In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan of an airplane wing showing a gun and ammunition magazine of the invention mounted thereon;

Fig. 2 is a typical sectional View through the wing of Fig. 1 showing the gun and magazine thereof in side elevation;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the magazine of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section thereof taken substantially through the plane of line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view in side elevation of operative elements of the magazine in magazine-filled position;

Fig. 6 is a view corresponding to Fig. 5 but showing the operative elements thereof in positions corresponding to magazine-empty condiion;

Fig. 7 is a schematic plan View of another form of actuating mechanism of the magazine; and

Fig. 8 is a. schematic side elevation of the mechanism of Fig` 7.

Tl'e drawings illustrate a gun lll of the socalled cannon type mounted below an airplane wing panel designated generally by the numeral I2. The gun is mounted upon the wing structure by means of forward brackets I4 and I6 connecting to wing spar elements, and adjacent its rear end the gun is attached to the wing by means of a bracket i8, thus providing a two-point suspension system. A `fairing 2G is indicated as being provided to substantially enclose the bodyof the gun lil. in a streamline casing. A clip and empty cartridge case ejection chute 22 is provided through the fairing 20 below the gun IU to permit discharge of gun ejected cartridge cases and cartridge clips into the airstream below the wing.

The ammunition magazine of the invention is designated generally by the numeral 3U and comprises a box-like 'casing of arcuate plan -form (Fig. 3) so as to conform to the naturally curving configuration in plan View of a train of cartridges arranged in side-by-side relation, due to the tapering sectional form of the cartridges. magazine casing includes opposed side wall plates 32 and end plates 34 and 36, respectively, and top and bottom plates 31 and 38, respectively. AA pair of opposed upper and `lower tracks 40 and 42, respectively are arranged within the magazine casing to provide in cooperation with the adjacent top and bottom wall .plates 3`l and 38 storage passageways for cartridges 44 when disposed in side-by-side relationwithin the passageways and transversely of the longitudinal axis of the container. A roller 46 is mounted within the casing by means of a shaft 48 and bearing blocks 5 8; the roller 46 being disposed transversely of the interior of the casing adjacent one end thereof and in spaced relation from the adjacent end plate 34 so as to provide therebetween a reversing direction passafaeway in open communication at its opposite ends with the upper and lower passageways described hereinabove.

The bottom plate 38 is provided with a cartridge outlet spout 52 adjacent the end of the container opposite to the location of the roller 48; and the cartridge passageways described hereinab'ove and the spout 52 are so arranged and dimensioned as to be adapted to receive a continuous train of cartridges in freely rollable relation upon adjacent supportingI elements so that the cartridges may be fed out of the spout 52 in a continuous side-by-side stream. The lower end of the spout 52 is arranged in communication with the cartridge receiver device of the gun 18 in such manner that the gun lfeed pawl mechanism is adapted to move the cartridges one at a time from the bottom portion of the spout 52 into the gun. It will be understood that in lieu of the arrangement of the spout 52 illustrated herein, the spout 52 may be vprovided so as to direct the issuing cartridges in any desired direction from the magazine during the gun feeding operation. For example, in the case of small caliber gun installations, it may be preferred to dispose the gun within the airplane wing structure and to arrange the magazine at one side of the gun so as to feed directly thereinto. In such case the spout 52 will extend laterally from an end portion oi the magazine casing, and the structural elements of the magazine will be rearranged to accommodate this mode of operation.

To provide continuous feeding of the cartridges i4 from the magazine into gun feeding position at the bottom of the spout 52, a novel spring actuated mechanism is arranged to force the train 0f cartridges 44 to move through the U-shaped Thetrain of cannon cartridgesy stored in the magav` zine toward the spout 52. l As illustrated in Figs. 3-6, the follower 60 is larranged to be actuated yfor cartridge feeding purposes by means of a flexible cable 65 conv nected to the furthermost trailingroller thereof by means of a looped connection 6l. The cable is thence threaded about the. roller 46-so as to return thereunder toward the outlet en d of thek magazine to provide a return strand 68`of` theeable which is threaded under an idler pulley 'i0 mounted vwithin the container casing.VV From the idler pulleythe strand .6.8 threads about. a large pulley 12 which is rotatably mounted upon` From the pulley 12 the cable extends in a reverse direction in the form of a strand 16 which in turn threads about. a. pulley 18 carried by a shaft 80, and the pulley 18 is thus rotatably mounted upon an abutment -82 which is slidably mounted between the cartridge track devices 40 Vand 42.

From the pulley 18 the cable moves in again in reversed direction in the form of a strand 84 abutment 82 will be forced to the left as viewed .in the drawings from the position of Fig. 5 toward the position of Fig. 6, and because of the cable-pulley arrangement of the device the eX- tending movements of the springs |00 will be multiplied so as to cause the follower unit 60 to move throughout the entire range of the cartridge track portions of the magazine toward the nal magazine-empty position indicated in Fig. 6.

.Thus, an ammunition magazine of compact and structurally simple form has been provided which: is particularly adapted for use in connectionwithA relatively restricted spaces, such as in airplane wing structures or the like, and it will be understood that the mechanism of the magad zine is adapted to supply a continuous feed of ,a shaft 14 which is fixed upon the casing strucl. ture so asv to .extend transversely therewithin.

which leads to apulley 86 which is also rotatably ,Y Y

mounted uponA the xed shaft '|4. From the pulley 86 the cable extends in the form of a strand 88 to another pulley 90 which is also rotatably carried by `the shaft 80 upon the abutment device 82'. From the pulley 90 the cable.v

extends in the form of a strand 02 to a point of fixed connection 94 with a second abutment device 96 which is Aixedly mounted within the magazine casing so as to remain stationary throughoutl the operation of the device.

The abutment devices 82 and 96 are each provided', as shown in Figs. 3 andv 4, with four laterazine in Figs. 3-6. Thus, in this condition of the spring actuated mechanism, a load of cannon cartridges may be trained within the magazine to fill the 'passageways above and below the spring mechanism and around the roller 46 as explained hereinabove, and the forces exerted by the springs |00 are then transmitted from the` vabutment devices through the cable and pulley system in such manner as to urge the follower unit 60 to press against the upper end of the ltrain of cartridges so as to urge it to move from right to left as viewed in the drawings, thereby feeding a constant supply of cartridges through the spout 52 to the gun as the cartridges are successively removed from the spout by the gun feed pawl mechanism. It will be understood that during operation of the spring mechanism the ammunition to the associated gun and to carry a relatively large volume of ammunition while utilizing only a relatively small amount of space.

To Vload themagazine of the. Vinventionit lis preferred to move the magazine from theairplane wing and to place, it in upside-down attitude forfeeding of new cartridges thereinto` through the spout 52.

A crank device is preferably arranged in conjunction with the pulley sys- Vteml at any convenient point 'so that one or more of the pulleys thereof may be rotatedmanually in such direction as to oppose the action of the springs |00, therebyl enabling the incoming ,cartridges to press against andmove the follower unit 6U from the position of Fig. 6 backv to the position of Fig. 5. It will be understood that the cartridge outlet' port of the discharge spout 52 is arranged so as to allow individual cartridges to be removed therefrom in directions longitudinally of the cartridges, and hence at any stage of the magazine operation the closed lower end portion of the outlet spout 52 functions to stop any unintended ejection of cartridges fromr the magazine.

lFigs. 7 andk 8 illustrate schematically another preferred form` of the actuating mechanism of the invention, and illustrates the provision of an endless pull cable |0 attached to the follower 60 by means of looped connections at H2;` The cable H0 is trained about a pulley 46 which corresponds tothe pulley 46 of the form of the in'- vention illustrated in Figs. 3 to 6, and at the op"- posite end of the magazine the cable I I0 is wound about a drum H4 `so as to provide a series of wrappings thereon, and the cable is fixed at an intermediate point to the drum I4 to engage the latter for driving `connection therewith whenever the drum H4 is rotated. Thus, upon rotation of thev drum H4 the cable H0 is driven to move the follower 60 between its positions corresponding to magazine-filled and `magazineempty conditions. The drum H4 is rotatably carried by means of a shaft rH6 upon a bracket H8 which is fixed `to a stationary portion of the magazine casing structure.

A force member in the form of a compression spring |20 is arranged within the space between the opposed cartridge `tracki elements of the At its opposite end` mounting of the movable abutment 82 of Figs.

' 3 to 6. A flexible cable |26 is xedly connected extends therefrom into threaded engagement' about a pulley |30 which is rotatably mounted upon the movable abutment |24, and thence the i cable |26 returns toward the fixed abutment end of the magazine and is wrapped about a relatively small drum |32 and is xedly connected to said drum at its extreme end portion. Thus, upon elongating movement of the compression .spring |20, the movable abutment |24 willmove from right to left as viewed in the figures and the cable |26 will thereby cause the drum |32 to rotate upon the shaft H6. The drums I I4 and |32 are fixed to rotate together, and consequently the elongating movement of the spring is thereby transformed into movement of the follower 60 between its magazine-full and magazine-empty positions. It will be noted that the drums I4 and |32 may be selected as to their pitch diameters in such manner as to provide any desired ratio of movement between the spring movement and follower movement, and that thereby the available range of spring movement illustrated in Figs. A'7 and 8 will be ample to provide for movement of the follower 60 between its solid and broken line positions as illustrated by Fig. 8.

Thus, a follower actuating mechanism is 'provided wherein the movement 0f the abutment |24 relative to the abutment I 22 is directly translated into rotational movement of the follower B0 through the loop-shaped cartridge chamber :i

of the magazine in either direction between magazine-filled and magazine-empty positions. The shaft ||6 is squared at |40 to provide for engagement with a hand crank device (not shown) so that the drums ||4 and |32 may be manually rotated to cause the cable |26 to oppose the action of the spring |30 and to force the abutment I 24 to move against the action of the spring toward the right as viewed in the drawings into spring-compressed position. Simultaneously, with this spring-compressing movement of the mechanism, the follower 60 will be automatically moved from its solid line position of Fig. 8 (magazine-empty position) touward the left through the lower portion of the cartridge chamber and thence around the pulley 46 and through the upper portion of the cartridge chamber toward its broken line position of Fig. 8 (or magazine-filled position). Thus,

the follower 60 will have been removed from interfering position with respect to the filling of the cartridge chamber with a complement of cartridges. Upon filling of the magazine the manual crank is removed from the shaft end and the spring |30 is thereby released to act against the abutment |24 in such manner as to cause,the follower 60 to bear` against the adjacent end of the train of cartridges 44 within the magazine so as to cause them to feed in a continuous stream out of the outlet spout of the magazine. A tension spring |45 is preferably included in the line of the cable ||0 to compensate for cable-length changing movements of the follower throughout its arcuate shaped path of movement through the cartridge chamber.

It will be understood that the force supplying element of the invention may be of any suitable character. For example, as illustrated herein, the force element may be in the form of one or more compressionsprings disposed between the abutment devices hereinabove. However, it will also be understood that other forms of spring devices may be employed, and that in lieu of spring devices a hydraulic jack or other suitable device may be provided in operative connection with the cable pulley system hereinabove described so as to provide the required action of the magazine mechanism. Although only a limited number of forms of the invention have been shown and described in detail, it Will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not so limited but that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An ammunition magazine for use in conjunction with a gun and having an ammunition discharge portion thereof extending for communication with the ammunition receiving portion of said gun, said magazine comprising a walled elongate box-like casing, a pair of relatively spaced and parallel track means mounted within said Casing and arranged to extend transversely of the intermediate interior thereof so as to be spaced in relation with and to cooperate with opposite wall portions of said casing to provide in effect a continuous U-shaped chamber within said casing contiguous to said wall portions thereof and having a lineal extent substantially greater than the length of the space between said track means, said chamber being adapted to slidably support a train of ammunition rounds therewithin and in communication with said said casing discharge portion, compression spring means disposed within said casing intermediately of said track means and mounted upon said container to react at one end thereagainst and adapted to be.alternately tensioned and untensioned by straight line iiexure thereof while being entirely disposed intermediately of said track means, a pusher device slidably mounted upon said casing within said chamber and adapted to press against the rear end of said ammunition train to force it to move through said cham ber and out of said casing discharge portion for feeding said gun, an abutment member slidably mounted upon said casing intermediately of said track means and connected to the moving end portion of said spring means, and force transmission means coupling said abutment member and said pusher device for actuating the latter to feed ammunition out of said casing discharge portion in response to force effects of said spring means acting upon said abutment member.

2. An ammunition magazine for use in conjunction with a gun and having an ammunition discharge portion thereof extending for communication with the ammunition receiving portion of said gun, said magazine comprising a walled elongate box-like casng, a pair of relatively spaced and parallel track means mounted within said casing and arranged to extend transversely of the intermediate interior thereof so as to be spaced in relation with and to cooperate with opposite wall portions of said casing to provide in effect a continuous Ushaped chamber within said casing contiguous to said wall portions thereof and having a lineal extent substantially greater than the length of the space between said track means, said chamber being adapted to slidably support a train of ammunition rounds therewithin and in communication with said casing discharge portion, compression :saidcasingatoV react at; one; end .thereagainstand -adapted tobe ralternately atensioned and: untenfsionecl Joy straightl line '.exure thereof` Whilebening entirely .disposed intermediately .of-- said track 4g means, :a vpusher .devicerslidably mounted upon saidlcasing vwithinsaidi chamber i and'. adapted to `oisaid-spring means tmdiSplace-saidY abutment member lengthwise Lof the space between :said

track: meansv is translated into movement of. said pusher` device throughout the greater lineal ex- :tentA .offsaid chamber.

3. vAn ammunitionsmagazine for use in Vcon- .junction 4With Va gun and having van ammunition dischargeportionthereof extending for commu- .,nication with the ammunition receiving portion Uof .saidngun,f .said magazine comprising a Walled .elongate box-like casingmU-shaped trackmeans .mounted Withiny saidl casing and arranged to Iextend ,transversely of .the intermediate interior .thereof vso. as .to;cooperate with VWall portions of .said `casing to providenin eiect a .continuous .U -shaped chamber Within. said casing contiguous to .corresponding vvall -portions thereof, said .chamber .being .adaptedtosupport-a train of ammunition-rounds slidably therewithin andin communication with said ,casing discharge-por- 4 tion, compression spring meansdisposed Within .saidcontainer andintermediately of opposite leg portions vof said chamber and havinga movable yend portion and ,a xed .endportion mounted lupon said casingtoreact thereagainst and adapted to be alternatelytensionedand untensioned by straight linefexure. thereof .while being entirely 'disposed intermediately v.of .opposite .leg portions `of said U-shape'd chamber,.a pusher device slidv ably `mounted within saidI chamber and` adapted Htobe disposed to press against vthe rear end of "said ammunition train ,to .force it to move 'through saidU -shaped vchamberand out vof said casing discharge portion for vfeeding said gun, an abutment member slidably mounted within said casing intermediately of said opposite leg portions of said chamber and connected to the movable end portion of said spring means, duplex pulley means carried by said abutment member, second pulley means mounted `.upon ,said casing,

and a flexible cable ixed at one end to said casing-and threadedabout said duplex `pulley means and about said second pulley means andcoupled at its opposite end to saidpusher device for actuating the latter to feed ammunition out of said casing discharge portion inresponse to elastic velongation of saidspring means acting against said abutment member Ain such lmanner as to move said. pusher device at a rate exceeding the rate of motion of said abutment member.

4. An ammunition magazine comprising a Walled elongate box-like lcasing having an am- ;munition discharge ..portion, vU-shaped track ragged-'5:10

spring; means ildisposedfwithinasaidcasing intermediatelyofssaid trackizmeanswand mounted. upon :means mounted: Within;saidicasinggand:arranged to extend" transversely thereotsofas': to cooperate' AWith vvWall. portions fof :said .rcasing f to :provide iin .eifect a continuous,U-shaped-openychamber with- ;in Vsaid casing, :said chamber z'being adapted 5to support .a ytrain :of ammunitionrrounds slidably therewithinfand. in:communicationfwithsaid casing discharge f. portion, a; compression. spring dis- Aposed Withinsaid casingQiintermediately ;of 'opposite wleg :portions of said chamber'.'andfrxed upon said. casingr at: one. 'of its ends-and i adapted to Ebe "alternately tensioned `and runtensioned by ...straight line lexure:.thereof'whilexbeing entirely i disposed"r intermediatelyv'of fopposite leg' portions 'of saidLU-,shaped' chamber, apusher device islidably: mounted within; saidschamber and .adapted to; vforce saidv ammunitiontrain to move through said chamber and out .of 3 said casing .discharge portion, :an abutment; member, slidably mounted Within said.casingL'intermediatelyof opposite leg .portions of` said chamber. andk :connected to fthe `moving :end rportion 4of :said spring, a pulley mounted upon1said abutmentmember, a reel amounted upon said icasing` adjacent'. the arposition of". the' lixedend: portion Yof 'said spring, aflexible pullmember lixed atione offits ends to saidireel 1and having' intermediate portionswthereof wound about p said reel extending therefrom so l .as to threadgabout said .pulley 4and= to then return to a position of xed connection relativehto said .casing adjacent the .position lofthe"1 fixed end portionoi said; spring, .a second: pulley'y mounted "upon saidcasing adjacent the end thereoffopposite to .theen'dthereof mounting said reel,'a drum mounted-uponsad casing adjacent the positioniof -saidxreels means connecting said reel fand'said drumi'wherebyithe latter is rotated upon rotation of. said reel, ani-endless pull member .threaded aboutsaid 'second pulley andaboutsaid drum-'so as .tobe driven by said .drum uponrota- .tion;of thelatter, andzmeansvconnecting' said vendless pull member'togsaid fpusher device for Vactuating the .latter to force the :ammunition train toafeed'out of. said casing discharge por- Aandiinconnection with elastic extension thereof tionY in response to ,.iorceieiects of said-spring from. a contracted ,.tensioned condition.

'5.:An ammunition'magazine -for usein conjunctionzwith argunfand having an ammunition discharge portion thereof extending forcemi munication with the ammunition vreceiving portion of saidgun, said-'magazine comprising a walled elongate boX-likefcasing.U-shaped track lmeans mounted Within said casing and arranged to extend transversely of the intermediate inyterior thereof; so as to` cooperate `With'"Wall-'porvtions'of-.sa-id casing' to` provide in effect lafcontinuous .U-shapedchamber within said casing contiguous' to corresponding lWall portions there- 1of,.said ,chamber .being adapted Ato support a train4 of ammunition rounds-slidably therewithin and in communication with 'said'casin'g `dis- :charge portion;v lineal motion: forces supply :means -disposed Within said'container-ian'd intermedi- .65-

ately oizopposite Vleg portions of said kchamber 'and havingzamovable end portion-:and a'xed-end portion mounted upon-said casing tor react'there- Y againstrand adapted to operate-bystraight'line exure thereof `While beingI entirelyv disposed 'f '1ntermediately of lopposite leg portions of said `U-shaped chamber, a lpusher device '-s1idably mounted within `said chamber and adapted-tete fdisposedtopress"against 'the rear endof `said :ammunition train to force it fto move through Asaid U -shapedl chamber and out Y'of sai'd casing at its opposite end to said pusher device for actuating the latter to feed ammunition out of said casing discharge portion in response to operation of said force supply means acting against said abutment member in such manner as to move said pusher device at a rate exceeding the rate of motion of said abutment member.

EDWARD M. BERTRAN. ROBERT N. LESNICK. 

